LOGIN to Teacher by clicking the arrows at the side of the page. You will be prompted for a user name and password.TURN PAGES by clicking the arrows at the side of the page, or by using the toolbar.ZOOM IN by clicking anywhere on the page.READ by dragging the page around when zoomed in.ZOOM OUT by clicking anywhere on the page when zoomed in.VISIT web sites or send emails by clicking on hyperlinks.

incursiOns and excursiOns suppOrt students’ sOcial and emOtiOnal learning in particular, and gOOd learning in general, as JeNNy JoHNsoN explains. School is, for many children, a safe haven physically and emotionally, and the struc- ture and rigidity it provides is exactly what they crave and need. At the same time, how- ever, they also need to be exposed to novel and stimulating experiences that allow them to view their world in new and posi- tive ways. Incursions and excursions allow schools to provide their students with such experiences, in terms of social and emo- tional learning in particular, but also in terms of learning in general. An excursion to, say, a war museum, a visit from an Aboriginal story-teller or a performance about bullying or grief can provide a non-threatening experience that can modify or challenge a student’s belief systems, introduce them to new perspec- tives, make them more resilient and help them to realise they are not alone. Incursions and excursions can provide students with an opportunity to develop socially and emotionally. As Maurice Elias and colleagues have pointed out in their work on social and emotional learning guidelines for educators, ‘Social and emo- tional learning is the process through which we learn to recognise and manage emotions, care about others, make good decisions, behave ethically and responsibly, develop positive relationships, and avoid negative behaviours.’ As teachers, we may never know what goes on in the minds of our students, socially and emotionally, and even if we do it may sometimes be diffi cult to address the misconceptions, and possibly even warped values, they may have developed through, say, diffi cult family situations or the infl u- ence of peers or the media. In taking productions like Brainstorm Productions’ Brave Hearts into schools, we’ve focused on providing non-threatening ways to address social and emotional learn- ing. According to teachers, the production elicits, ‘many laughs and understanding nods of agreement and empathy.... Children were fascinated. I was watching their faces and body language and they were totally captivated.’ Teachers describe Brave Hearts as a ‘very powerful and much-needed service to chil- dren (because it) touched on so many issues in a beautiful, compassionate and sensitive way.’ Feedback also indicates that teachers also learn some new strategies for address- ing social and emotional learning. Incursions and excursions are also a great way to improve students’ learning. According to the American psychologist Carl Rogers, experiential learning occurs when students are fully involved in the learning process. Learning is enhanced, explains Rogers, when the environment is dynamic and characterised by new experi- ences and continuous change. Similarly, the concept of situated learning developed by the American social theorists Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger acknowledges that context, culture and social interaction are all vital factors in education. The learn- ing process is enhanced when information is presented in context, which isn’t necessarily a traditional classroom setting. According to both theories, students will absorb more information when it’s delivered in a way that is fresh and that is contextually relevant to them. Incursions provide students with expe- riential learning opportunities within the secure surrounds of their school, and are a valuable tool when well researched and presented by professionals. Incursions may come in the form of live theatre, say, or sci- ence shows or sports and gymnastics work- shops, and there are incursions available for almost every area of the school curriculum, from drama and music to health and per- sonal development. Live theatre, which is my background, allows students and teachers to be trans- ported by stories told through a variety of theatrical forms such as drama, clowning, dance, music and puppetry. A performance can open up student discussion with peers and teachers, and even back home, and the provision of ready-to-use curriculum-related follow-up material can further enhance the experience. It’s important to educate students about the arts and provide them with quality expe- riences, especially in communities that have limited access to theatres and cultural cen- tres or little money for transport. Theatre is a way of engaging students on an emotional level and is accessible to children of all levels of intellectual ability. It can be food for the soul and can offer life-changing moments to students who gain insights into their world and their own behaviour. Good stories that resonate have been shared by human beings since time began. Your students and staff can enter the room as individuals and leave as a united group having a shared an experi- ence and gained mutual understanding and empathy. In New South Wales, it is recommended that schools engage performances or presen- tations that are listed as authorisedwithin the Performances for Schools program managed by the NSW Department of Education and Training – at www.schools.nsw.edu.au/pfs In Queensland the list of performances accredited to tour state schools can be found at www.qac.org.au/htm/Accreditation- SchoolsTouringPrograms.asp These NSW and Queensland authorisa- tion or accreditation programs provide a valuable service to schools in other states since they provide an indication that a per- formance will be of a high artistic standard and value for money. There are a number of factors you should consider when organising an incursion or school visit: 1. Does the incursion require a risk assessment for children and staff to do, for example, with driving on school property, feature – excursions & incursions 19